Bernward's bronze column
Type:
Columns
Date:
ca. 1020
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Germany
Medium:
Bronze
Dimensions:
3.79 m high and 58 cm in diameter
Description:
Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (r. 993–1022) most likely donated this column to St. Michael's Church in Hildesheim, although it is now in the cathedral. It is modelled on Trajan's Column or the Column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, but instead of military deeds it shows twenty-seven scenes from the life of Christ arranged in a spiralling band. At the base, it begins with the Baptism of Christ. Along the way are a variety of miracle and healing scenes, among others. The top culminates in Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The column would originally have been on the church's central axis, near the altar.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
6
Repository and Online Resources:
• For more views, visit the page for this column on the Kornbluth Photography website.
Image Credits:
Genevra Kornbluth; Wikimedia Commons
